Mountain Bike trails in Sydney

Sydney is the biggest capital city in Australia, but it is surrounded and permeated by National Parks and bushland reserves. There are trails in the rocky valleys and ridgelines of the northern suburbs, and sandy singletrack between the rock shelves above the Northern Beaches, including the popular Manly Dam. More trails are being developed towards the Hills District, notably the brilliant Old Mans Valley at Hornsby, which has expanded to a little over 5km of trails with the opening of phase two.

To the south, the Royal National Park and surrounds offer a maze of trails and fire road with climbs and descents that take you all over the nation’s first National Park. Most of the legitimate trails are based around Menai.

There is not enough room in one post to cover all Sydney has to offer including places like Pennant Hills Park, Parramatta Park, St Ives, Terry Hills, Berowra, Hornsby, Westleigh, Oxford Falls, Red Hill, Mount Annan and more.

So here are a couple of our favourites.

Manly Dam

Some people get tired of it, some people can’t get enough. The trail around Manly Dam gets a lot of use, and is very busy on a sunny weekend. The views over the golf course are hard to beat, and the trail typifies mountain biking in the north of Sydney – rock shelves, sandy trails, and creek crossings. Plenty of other trails have appeared too, including the new trails at Bantry Bay, and some trails between the two that ride along a grey area of legitimacy.

On the Ghania track.

Getting There

‘The Dam’ can be accessed from the Wakehurst Parkway, south of Warringah Road, via Seaforth Bowling Club or from Manly Vale Public School. You could also ride up from the ferry if you cross the harbour from south of the bridge.

Technical Nature

More than you would think! But recent trail works have put some B-lines in and calmed down a descent that was getting too eroded.

If you aren’t familiar with riding rocky ledges, the Dam can seem like a handful. A few sections above the golf course might be worth looking at before riding if you are a beginner.

You’ll Need

All the regular things, and you could even chuck your swimmers in for a dip at the dam, or the beach afterwards.

Distances

A lap of the dam is 10.3km, but you can use back streets to link up to the trails at Bantry Bay, Oxford Falls, Red Hill, The Cascades and beyond.

Local Knowledge

Don’t go in the wet, and only ride clockwise.

There will be signs up if the trail has been closed, and it’s worth respecting the ranger’s actions. And wet Sydney riding destroys bikes.

Local Bike Shops

Bike Addiction, Manly Cycles and Favourite Cycles are all full service bike shops in Manly.

Wiseman’s Ferry

While not strictly within Sydney, Wisemans Ferry holds plenty of singletrack, double track, fire road and dirt roads to get anything from a short ride, to adventure race training in. Plus there’s a good pub with great burgers.

Take the main Ferry and turn left onto Settlers Road. Within a kilometre there is the main trailhead, marked with a gate and signs.

A favoured loop is to head out on the Convict Trail, to 10 Mile Hollow, into the Hidden Valley, then left up Mangrove Creek. Take your next two lefts and you will return to 10 Mile Hollow. Return as you came out.

Getting There

From Sydney, take the Harbour Bridge north, then the M2 until the Cumberland Highway and New Line Road. This leads onto Old Northern Road, and take this and park near the Ferry at Wiseman’s Ferry. You could also come from the Central Coast via Spencer on Wiseman’s Ferry Road.

Technical Nature

A lot of the riding will be from the ‘old’ Old North Road, or Convict Trail. It was a dirt road, but lengthy sections of hard double track and places where only one line is available abound. Some rock gardens can catch beginners and intermediate riders out.

You’ll Need

You can have a good day out, so take plenty of water and food. There’s nothing to really stop at unless you make a loop to St Albans. A first-aid kit is a must, as are the spares you would require.

Distances

There are no predetermined routes, but it’s worth exploring. You could ride 15km, or over 100km.

Local Knowledge

Use a topographic map to plan your route, or check out what people have loaded onto Strava. A lot of the trails are on the ridge so drain well, but other sections suffer from erosion. Avoid it in very wet conditions.

Local Bike Shops

There are no bike shops nearby, so take what you will need.